Shaking/vibrating from transaxle?

Were there any warning lights on? or any loud noises from the transaxle area?
what colour was the oil when you drained the transaxle?
While the transaxle is apart check the housings for wear at the bearing seats.
Also check the needle roller bearing below the planetary gear on the mg1 housing.If the bearing is worn it will grind itself into the mg1 housing causing the silent chain to drop and rub in the housing.

 

Have you checked the torque limiter ( type of clutch ) on rear of ICE. If the plate is braking up it will through it out of balance. If it does it in park it can only be something that is moving while the ICE is running, that limits it to planet gears, sun gear, MG1, torque limiter, or ICE.

 

There are a few of us from the UK on hear and that sometimes causes a bit of confusion eg talking of drivers side or rear drum brakes that we do not have.
Your problem I think could be engine related but do not rule out transmission, but if the vibration shaking is there in park the parking lock mechanism locks the outer ring of the planet gears and MG2 the drive chain and gears and obviously the diff and drive shafts. This only leaves as moving parts with the engine running, the engine, torque damper, planet carrier and gears, sun gear, and MG1. Close inspection of all bearings etc should point to the problem.
The so called igniters (ignition coils) can give problems especially when water finds its way into the plug wells so check them as well. If I can think of anything else I will post good luck.

 

Just a thought when you say the car did this in reverse was the engine running when you reversed. If not this ties it to the transmission.

 

When you put it all back together you will need 4ltrs of Toyota ATF WS transmission fluid, the only other fluid that we know is ok is Redline D4 or D6. The oil must be safe for use on the motor windings without braking down the electrical insulation (high voltages).
The coils work together in pairs so you cannot disconnect them one at a time to see witch one is misfiring, you can unbolt them and lift them off the plug to find a faulty one. The normal way however is to unplug each injector in turn to find the cylinder that is not firing.
Obviously check the plugs first they are iridium tipped and should last 100,000 miles yours may be original.
Can you remember if the engine was running when you were reversing.

 

when my car turned into something similar that your car did, it was my coil failure. i had new plugs in.. just 1 coil failed. engine sounded ok.. but it was shuddering (the electric motors help keep it balanced and running)

as for testing the coils or engine cylinder fires... unclipping any coil will cause a failure of the system that requires reboot. if you keep them clipped and simply pull them strait up.. you'll know if a cylinder is firing or not. if two coils get pulled the system shuts down. so.. keep it to 1 coil. if you pull 1 coil and it does shut off... then you did have a failed coil.. it's just not the one you're holding... hehe..

 

Bad fuel injectors will cause the noise and vibration. You would swear blind the transaxle was stuffed but its the gear train chattering when the ice is running. The first time i came across this i thought the trans axle was destroyed but further investigation found number 3 injector faulty. Its a bit like pulling a plug lead to find a big end knock in the cylinder beside it.
The engine shouldn't be on in reverse and moving.

 

how can you guys say the engine doesn't turn in reverse... toyota clearly states that if you require more electricity than R is comfortable using, the ICE will kick in to make more energy... at that points it's a little odd because you technically get less R power. if the battery is lower it will kick on... if it's cold.. it may kick on... it kicks on.

 

Yes your quite correct if the battery is low or you are in the warm up cycle the ICE does run, that is why I asked the if he could remember if the ICE was running when he reversed. He also got vibration in park and that is why I mentioned plugs and coils, he also said he pulled codes for misfire on 1/3&4.

 

btw.. misfires on 1,3, and 4 tell me something is wrong with 2.... since two gimped out and isn't throwing codes... codes only get thrown when 2 cylinders fail to fire.. so... as it bring down the other cylinders 1 by one due to just too much load... it causes codes... slowly 1 by 1.

that's just my crazy opinion...

 

If you remove the plugs look at them carefully and note from witch cylinder they came, this may tell you witch coil is dud "if any" as it could just be the plug or water in one or more of the plug wells. This is usually caused by a leak in the seem in the plastic panel at the bottom of the windscreen.

 

Hello Britprius, my 2010 prius vibrates when these two conditions are met:
1. Car is in reverse
2. Engine is running.
It does not vibrate at any other time. What could be the problem?

 

As your car is a Gen 3, you would be better off posting in the Gen 3 forums rather than here in the Gen 2 forums. Plus Britprius has moved on and is no longer active on PriusChat. One of the downsides of tagging on to a really old thread.

 

egr clogged or beginning of head gasket failure very common on G3.